My Bethy
by AnonymousRoise
Summary: "Here is happy." Shawn whispered. "Here, with me, would have been happy."   Shawn has a personal connection to the SBPD's latest victim, and he's never been so broken. Entry for Psychfic's Whumpathon. Warnings: Sensitive material and minor character death
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N-Hey! New fic! This will have 7-8, maybe 9, chapters. I am already in the fifth chapter, so I'll post a new chapter soon.  
>Please review!<br>Also, please like my facebook page! :D  
>Laikynp  
>And follow me on Twitter! :D<br>Laikynvictoria_  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>March 2003<strong>

The baby in the nursery of the NYC hospital squirmed and wriggled, seemingly aware of the hazel eyes watching her from behind glass even though she was only a few hours old.

"Is she yours?" A gentle voice asked the hazel-eyed man.

"Yeah, she is." He nearly whispered. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"She sure is." The man looked over and saw an elderly nurse.

"Do you work here?" He asked.

"Yes Sir." She nodded. "Just starting my shift. Would you like to come in and visit with her?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I would."

The nurse checked his bracelet, to confirm his identity, and led him into the small nursery.

"Hey there Bethany." He whispered, running a finger along his daughter's cheek. "I'm your daddy. You look just like me. Sorry 'bout that."

**March 2008**

"Come on, Brooke!" Shawn yelled. "It is her birthday, I want to see her!"

Gus looked up from his desk, frowning.

"I don't care if you won custody, I want to see my daughter." He said after a moment. He sighed, "please. I just… I just want to see her."

After another pause, he grinned.

"Thank you." He said. "I'll be there at two tomorrow."

"Is she gonna let you see Beth?" Gus asked after Shawn hung up the phone.

"Yeah." He nodded. "For a few hours, she is all mine. Cover for me tomorrow?"

Gus nodded and returned to his online poker game while Shawn turned his own computer on and booked a plane ticket.

The next day, Shawn got off the plane in New York, having taken a red eye flight. He was exhausted as he climbed in a taxi and ordered the driver to any hotel in the area. He arrived at the Marriot fifteen minutes later, and carried his duffle sluggishly inside and got a room.

After sleeping for what felt like five minutes but was actually about three hours, he awoke to his alarm on his phone. He looked sleepily at it, and then jumped up, realizing it was already 1:30. He quickly fixed his hair, changed his clothes and grabbed the pink, wrapped gift off of the nightstand and headed for his ex-girlfriend's apartment.

He arrived 1:58, knocking on the door anxiously.

"Shawn." Brooke answered the door. "Come in."

"Brooke." He nodded, stepping into the small living room.

"Beth!" She called. "He's here!"

A few moments later, a five-year-old little girl came running from one of the bedrooms. Her short brown hair was in two small pigtails and her heterochromian, blue and hazel, eyes lit up behind her glasses.

"Hi, Daddy!" She squealed, running toward him. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know, Baby, and I'm sorry." He replied, kneeling down to hug her. "It wasn't my choice." He kept his eyes forward, but Brooke knew his statement was directed to her.

"You ready to go?" He asked, leaning back from Beth. "We're gonna go grab some late lunch, and then maybe some ice cream?"

"Yay!" Beth clapped her hands. She ran over to Brooke and hugged her quickly before grabbing her coat off the couch and pulling it on. "Let's go, Daddy!"

"Come on, Bethy." Shawn nodded to Brooke and walked out the door, Beth's hand in his.

**Present**

"So Beth's birthday is next week." Gus casually mentioned, glancing up at Shawn across the room of the Psych office.

"I know."

"Are you going to see her?"

"Brooke won't answer my calls." Shawn shook his head. "She's probably ignoring me."

"Do you still get updates?" Gus asked him, and he nodded.

"Yeah. I haven't got any pictures recently, but she started the fourth grade in August." He grinned. "She's so smart. Getting all A's."

"That's awesome." Gus grinned back. "So different from her father."

Shawn threw the plush football he was holding at him, grinning.

"Thanks, Man. Thanks a lot." He shook his head as he answered the phone that had started ringing.

"Shawn Spencer, Psychic Detective." He answered, even though he knew it was the chief.

"There's a case here that I want you on." She stated, her voice void of emotion. "It's a… Difficult one."

"There's no case I can't crack, Chief." Shawn replied.

"I don't mean in that regard." She told him. "A child has been murdered."

* * *

><p>Shawn and Gus entered autopsy solemnly. (Even they knew when something was no joking matter)<p>

Lassie, Jules, Chief and Woody were standing around the table, a body on it covered with a white sheet.

"We don't have an ID yet." Juliet informed them when they entered. "She appears to be seven to ten years old."

"How'd she die?" Gus asked.

"Blunt force trauma to the head." Lassie replied. "A woman, who appears to be her mother, was found with her on the side of the highway. The woman was unconscious and had no ID. She's still out and is at Santa Barbra General."

"Okay." Shawn exhaled. "I don't really want to… But I need to see the body to get a reading."

"Shawn, are you sure?" Gus whispered to him. "I mean… Association might make it hard…"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Gus."

Woody only nodded, and pulled the sheet down slowly. The others shook their heads sadly at the beautiful little girl in front of them.

But Shawn? He just felt sick.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N-Hey! New chapter! :D  
>As always, please review, and please follow my facebook:<br>/Laikynp  
>And follow me on twitter:<br>Laikynvictoria**_

* * *

><p>No one, except maybe Gus, had seen Shawn Spencer break down this quickly, and this hard.<p>

His breath quickened and his hand flew to his mouth. He hadn't seen a picture of her in maybe two years, but she looked just like her. But he could be wrong. He prayed he was wrong.

"Shawn, what's going on?" Juliet asked, watching him, concerned.

"W-Woody, what..." Shawn stammered. "What color are her eyes?"

"Well, one is hazel and one is blue." He replied. "It's a condition known as-"

"Heterochromia." Shawn finished. "Oh my God." He turned around quickly, feeling bile rise in his throat. "No, no, no, no."

"Shawn, it's… It's not…?" Gus grabbed his best friend by the shoulders, helping to steady him.

"It is. It is, Gus." He nodded, tears coming to his eyes. "Someone… Someone did this…I can't..."

He stumbled out of autopsy, bumping into walls in his tearful haze. He slammed his back against the wall outside the doors, and slid to the floor, outright sobbing.

"No. No, why?" He whimpered. "Why her?"

The others stood in shock for all of five seconds before they ran to Shawn.

"Spencer, what is going on?" Lassie asked. Despite his distaste for the psychic, he could tell when a man was broken, and he knew to be courteous of that.

"Shawn, what happened? What's wrong?" Juliet kneeled next to him and put a hand on his arm. Gus was on his other side, his hand around his shoulder.

"Come on, Buddy, it'll be fine." He said softly. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Shawn exclaimed. "She's dead! She… She's dead. My little girl is dead."

This brought gasps of surprise from those around him.

"What is she even doing here?" He continued, the tears still falling unchecked. "They're supposed to be in New York!"

"I don't know, Shawn, but we'll figure things out." Gus told him. "I promise."

Lassie and Jules knew better than to ask now, so after Shawn had somewhat calmed down, the group reconvened to the conference room. The chief and Henry joined them, extremely curious after hearing of Shawn's episode.

Shawn sat at the table, trying to keep the tears at bay, staring at his folded hands that sat on the table.

"In 2002, I was living in New York." He started softly. "I met a girl named Brooke Tessing. There was an instant connection. We were both vagabonds. Drifters. Before long, she found out she was pregnant."

He paused, allowing the tears he felt coming to settle. He didn't even pretend to hide that he could start sobbing at any moment.

"The baby was born March 17th of 2003. Bethany Augustine Tessing." He continued. "My Bethy." He grinned sorrowfully, and looked down at his hands again, swallowing hard.

"When Beth was just one, Brooke and I split up." He said, sniffling. "She fought for full custody, and won. I wasn't allowed to see her except Christmastime, every year."

"That's it?" Juliet asked softly, reaching out and grabbing Shawn's shaking hand.

"Yeah. A week, once a year." He scoffed. "How jacked up is that? And even those stopped. I missed one week that I was supposed to spend with her because of work, and Brooke immediately used it to revoke all of what little custody I had."

He shook his head,

"the last time I saw her was her seventh birthday, 2010." He continued. "I got updates on her school, and friends and such every now and then. But I don't… They lived in New York up until last month, as far as I knew. I don't know why they were here."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Henry asked after an extended silence.

"Henry." Karen admonished softly.

"No, it's fine." Shawn shook his head. "I should have told you. It's just, when she was born, I tried calling you, and you didn't answer. I kind of gave up on trying, and when I got back here, I thought if I told you, it'd ruin the relationship we'd just got back." He shrugged,

"I'm sorry, Dad."

Henry just shook his head. He was emotionless on the outside, but inside he was sad; hurting. A granddaughter he never knew he had has just been murdered. The little girl he'd always wanted in his life, was now lying in autopsy.

"Mr. Spencer, you have my deepest condolences." Karen told him. "I'm so very sorry for your loss."

"I need some air." Shawn rose and left the room, leaving the other occupants in dismay.

"So you knew about this Guster?" Lassie asked after a moment.

Gus slightly grinned,

"You're talking to the Godfather. I was there when she was born." He told them. "She was a beauty."

"Still is." Juliet nodded sadly. "Gosh, poor Shawn. I couldn't even imagine…"

"What are we going to do?" Gus asked.

"We're going to find this SOB." Henry stated, standing up. "And we won't stop looking until we do."

* * *

><p>Gus walked out of the SBPD and looked around for Shawn. He found him sitting on a bench on the sidewalk, his elbows leaning on his knees.<p>

"Hey." He greeted, walking up behind him. "Woody wants to know if you... If you want to… Say goodbye before he performs the autopsy…?"

Shawn sighed and nodded, standing up.

"You okay?" Gus asked him.

"No." Shawn shook his head. "Not really." He walked back in and went to autopsy, every person he passed watched after him sadly. The news had already reached the entire department, and before long, even Prisoner Lou in lock-up knew about it.

Shawn inhaled deeply before slowly pushing the autopsy doors open.

"Shawn, let me tell you," Woody greeted. "I am so very sorry for what has happened."

"Thanks, Woody." Shawn nodded, staring at the white sheet.

"I'll give you a minute." Woody gave a small grin before leaving. Shawn went over to the table and just stared at the form of his daughter under the sheet, willing himself to pull it down.

Finally, after a good five minutes, he pulled it down slowly, only enough to show her face. He choked on a sob as he saw her still face. She had been the exact opposite of 'still', apparently inheriting her father's ADHD, which made it so odd to see her unmoving. He leaned down on his arms on the table, dropping his head down. His crying could probably be heard throughout the whole station, but he didn't care.

"Bethy, I'm gonna find who did this to you. I swear." He whispered, reaching up and brushing a stray hair out of her face. "I swear I will find them, and I will kill them."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N-New chapter! :D I hope you enjoy. We finally figure out who did it!  
>This is my favorite fanfic I've probably ever written, and I'd really super duper appreciate a review. Seriously, it's what fuels me.<br>Please like my facebook page! :D  
>laikynp  
>And follow me on twitter:<br>LaikynVictoria**_

* * *

><p>"Shawn." Juliet said gently as she entered autopsy. "Shawn, Sweetie. You need to leave now."<p>

"No, I can't… I can't leave her." He shook his head, hiccupping as he attempted to stop the tears.

"Shawn, she isn't there anymore." Juliet attempted to sound comforting. "She's somewhere so amazing, and pain-free and happy. Somewhere happy. But not here."

"Here is happy." Shawn whispered. "Here, with me, would have been happy."

"I know, I know it would have been." She said, reaching toward him and guiding him away from the table. "I promise we'll figure this out. I promise."

* * *

><p>Juliet and Shawn were sitting at her desk, neither talking, but sitting in comfortable silence, when Lassiter approached.<p>

"Brooke Tessing just regained consciousness." He informed them. "I was going to question her, and I was just thinking…" He motioned slightly to Shawn, who nodded.

"Yeah, I probably need to go." He rose from his seat and followed Lassie to his car. They drove in relative silence to the hospital, the only noise coming from Lassie's scanner. Finally, the silence got too much and he leaned over and flipped the radio on.

"_It ain't fair, you died too young, like the story that had just begun. But death tore the pages all away."_ Kenney Chesney's southern voice came blasting out of speakers. Lassie quickly shut it off, glancing over at Shawn. He sighed inwardly at realizing he wasn't paying attention, and was staring out the window.

They pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later, and Lassie switched the gear to park. He started to get out of the car when he realized Shawn wasn't moving.

"Are you coming?" He asked in such a gentle way that it would have shocked Shawn had he been more aware.

"Oh… Yeah." He mumbled, unbuckling his seatbelt slowly and climbing out.

"Hey." Lassiter stated after a moment's hesitation. Shawn turned around, his eyebrows raised in expectancy. "We're going to find who did this to her."

"Thanks, Lassie." Shawn nodded and turned back.

They entered the hospital and Lassiter showed his badge, demanding to know where Brooke was. After being led to the ICU, Lassie let Shawn go in first and explain the situation to her. He stood outside the door and attempted to reign in his emotion before entering.

He went in and found Brooke lying forlorn in the bed, staring out the window next to her. She was attached to oxygen and about fifteen different wires and tubes were sticking out from her body.

"Hey." He greeted softly, sitting down in the chair that sat next to the bed.

"Shawn." She croaked out, her voice hoarse. "Where's Beth? She was with me…"

"She's gone, Brooke." He looked down at his hands. "She died."

"What?" Brooke shook her head. "No. No, that's not possible."

"What were you doing here?" He pressed on. "Why were you in Santa Barbara?"

"Running." Brooke said after a moment, tears welling in her eyes. "My ex-fiancé, Howard Jacobs, was abusive-"

"To Bethy?" Shawn interrupted, suddenly feeling very angry. Lassie, who was now standing in the doorway, saw Shawn straighten, his fists clenched.

"No, to me." Brooke assured him quickly. "He said if I left him, he'd… He'd kill me. I couldn't stay, so I left and I came here to find you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, I mean…" She shrugged. "I'd heard about what you do. How many people you've helped. I knew you could help me get away from him."

"What happened?" Lassie interjected, his notepad in his hand.

"I'm… I'm not entirely sure." She shook her head. "Things are so fuzzy."

"What's the last thing you remember clearly?" He asked her.

"Well, we were in a cab." She said hesitantly. "On our way to see you." She nodded at Shawn, "for some reason, the driver stopped. He said something about a messed up engine."

"Where were you when this happened?" Shawn cut in.

"The highway… I believe it was the 101." She replied.

"That's the highway where we found you." Lassiter informed her. "Do you remember what cab company drove you?"

"It was Checker Cab Company." She nodded. "The driver was Phillip, I believe."

Lassie nodded, tossed a glance at Shawn, and then left the room. After a moment of silence, Brooke spoke,

"is she really gone?"

"I wouldn't kid about something like that, Brooke." Shawn stated snidely, staring down at his hands. He didn't exactly blame her for their daughter's death, but he couldn't help but feel resentment. She _was_, after all, the last person to see Bethy alive. The more he thought about it, the more emotional he got and the closer to tears he got. He looked up and saw Brooke with both hands over her face, silently sobbing. He sighed and stood up, reaching a hand out to grab hers,

"I've got to go." He said softly. "But I'm going to find him."

She only nodded and returned to staring out the window, but this time with tears cascading down her face. Shawn silently wiped his misty eyes and rejoined Lassiter.

"I had O'Hara put out a BOLO on Jacobs." The latter informed the former. "It's only a matter of time."

"No," Shawn shook his head as they entered the elevator. "It's more than that. It's a matter of making him pay for what he did."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N-'Ello! So, I haven't been getting as many reviews as I'd have liked to get, but since I'm like, 5 chapters ahead of what I've been posting, I've decided to go ahead and post.  
>But PLEASE review. Seriously, I'd love it.<br>This chapter, like the last, is a bit shorter but they'll get longer, I promise. :)  
>Please like my facebook page :)<br>/laikynp  
>And follow me on twitter:<br>laikynvictoria  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

Gus entered the Psych office around eight PM, after finishing off a route and then telling his boss he needed personal time. He knew that Shawn would need him now more than ever, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of it. When he walked in, he found Shawn amongst a giant mess. There were about 300 papers scattered across both desks, a Taco Bell bag sat on the floor next to their see-through marker board that was filled with Shawn's chicken scratch.

"What's going on?" He asked tentatively, setting his sample case next to his desk.

"I'm done with being sad." Shawn stated as he scribbled more notes on the board, not even looking at him as he spoke. "At least for now. Since yesterday morning, I've been too emotional."

"Shawn, you found out your daughter was killed." Gus said as gently as he could. "You have every right in the world to be emotional."

"Not if I want to find him." He shook his head, still not turning around. "Not if I want to find the man who did it."

"We know who he is, the cops can do the rest, Shawn." Gus tried to reason. "Take the time to mourn, you deserve it."

"Yeah, well Bethy deserved not to die." Shawn turned around this time, the marker in his hand at his side. "And I owe it to her to find him."

"It's not your responsibility." Gus pressed. He knew how his best friend was with the concept of death. He often would pull in on himself, not allowing anyone in and wallowing for a while. He'd soon get over it, of course, but this was his daughter, and Gus could only imagine the repercussions this was going to have. He did not want to see his best friend hurt any more than he already was.

"Not my responsibility?" Shawn repeated. "It was my responsibility to keep my daughter safe, no matter what. I am her father, it was my responsibility, and I failed her!"

"You did not fail her!" Gus exclaimed. "You had no way of knowing she was in danger! Brooke all but went into _hiding_ with her to keep her from you! This is not your fault!"

Shawn just shook his head and turned back to the board and started scribbling again. After a moment of tense silence, Gus stated,  
>"what are you even writing?" He was much more calm, now.<p>

"Possible places Jacobs could be hiding." He mumbled. "He's got a rap sheet the size of my arm."

"Okay," Gus exhaled. "What do ya got?"

_March 2009_

_"Daddy?" Bethy inquired as the two walked down the sidewalk in Times Square, hand in hand. _

_ "Yeah, Sweetheart?" Shawn asked, looking down at her. _

_ "Is it okay when someone hurts someone else?" She asked softly, almost as if he'd get mad._

_ "No, of course not." Shawn replied, and then he stopped. He kneeled down next to her. "Why? Is someone hurting you?" _

_ "No, not me…" She trailed off, looking anywhere but her father's face. "It's just that…" She paused, as if contemplating what she was going to say before shaking her head._

_ "Never mind." She turned forward again, as if just waiting for Shawn to stand up. "I don't want to talk about it."_

_Present_

Shawn opened his eyes sluggishly, feeling each and every muscle creak as he slowly stretched them out. He looked around and realized he was still in the Psych office. He tried to shake his head of the dream he'd just had, realizing Bethy had tried to tell him of her mother's boyfriend, but he'd let it go. He sighed and walked to the marker board; looking over everything he'd written there the night before. He just shook his head, sat at his desk and began going over the files, again. Before long, witness statements, court documents and testimonies started blurring and he had to stop. He looked at his phone to see the time, realizing it was nearly 7:30 and that Gus would be there at any moment. He picked up his phone, about to call him, when it started ringing in his hand.

"Yeah." He answered, not bothering to look at the caller I.D.

"We got a hit on Jacobs." Juliet told him. "It's nothing major, but I suggest you get down to the station."

"I'll be ten minutes." Shawn stated, grabbing his keys and booking it for the door.

"Shawn, it's a twenty minute drive from your offi-" She was cut off as Shawn disconnected the call and shoved the phone in his pocket. He placed his helmet haphazardly on his head and straddled his bike. True to his word, he arrived at the station ten minutes later. He ran in, his helmet dangling by its strap in his right hand, his keys in the other.

"What happened?" He asked, standing in the doorway of the chief's office, which was occupied by Karen, Juliet and Lassie. No one questioned his worse-for-wear appearance, or his lack of personal hygiene and dove right in.

"Howard Jacobs tried to buy a plane ticket this morning." Lassie started. "When he realized that _they_ realized something was up, he ran."

"A couple employees at the airline chased after him, but he'd already gotten into his car." Juliet continued. "But they did get his plate number, and the type of car he had."

"We've positioned roadblocks on all major highways out of the city." Karen finished. "He's not getting out of Santa Barbara."

Shawn exhaled, digesting the information.

"I know of a few places he might hide out." He informed them after a moment. "He's from here. He has a few family members, as well as a couple former co-workers in the area." He sat the list he'd printed off down on her desk.

"Excellent." Karen nodded. "I'll send some uniforms to question them."

After a moment, she added,

"and how are you doing, Mr. Spencer?"

"As well as could be expected." He mumbled. He nodded a goodbye, and left, calling over his shoulder to call if they learned something new.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N-Hey! So, I'm gonna go ahead and update a chapter a day (or so) cause I just finished writing this, and it has nine full chapters. Seriously, please review. I'd love you forever :)  
>P.S. chapters look a lot longer in my word processor, properly formatted...:|<strong>_

Please like my facebook page:  
>laikynp  
>And follow me on twitter:<br>Laikynvictoria  
>:D<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Five<strong>_

_10 Days Later_

Gus walked into Shawn's apartment effortlessly, having picked the lock without delay. (It would have scared him that he could do that so easily now had the circumstances of his presence been different)

"Shawn?" He walked in and looked around, seeing nothing until he walked into the small dining area that sat off of the living room.

"Shawn?" He repeated, taking in the state of the room, and his best friend. Casefiles, papers, soda cans and various take out containers littered the table. A corkboard/marker board stood in one corner, papers and pictures hung on it. Shawn was standing over the table, marker in one hand and the other held to his forehead.

"You okay?" Gus asked him after a moment.

"How many times are you gonna ask me that before you realize that you aren't gonna get a different answer?" He replied, glancing up at him and then looking back down. "At least not until we get him."

"Shawn, the police are working on it-"

"It's been ten days, Gus!" He yelled, straightening up now. "Ten days, and nothing! I can't keep going on as if nothing happened until the police bring him in!"

"What else are you gonna do?" Gus countered. "I mean, when they catch him. Are you ever going to be satisfied?"

"He killed her, Gus." Shawn near whispered, looking back down at the table. "I won't be satisfied until he's dead."

"Shawn, don't do that." Gus rounded the table and grabbed his best friend by the shoulders. "Don't do that. You do something stupid, and _you_ could be spending your life in prison."

"I don't care." Shawn shook his head. "I truly don't."

"Shawn, it is so awful that he did that to Beth." Gus shook his head. "But it's not worth you throwing your life away."

"She's worth everything." Shawn muttered, yanking away from him. "Everything I can give. If that's my life, so be it. I _will_ find him."

It had been push and pull between the two of them for the past ten days, and honestly, Gus was just about at the end of his rope. He had no idea what to do for Shawn, and he was just about done trying to figure it out. While he showed no outward signs of it, Gus was also hurting over this. Beth had been his goddaughter and honorary niece, and she was gone. Sure, he didn't see her much, way less than Shawn even did, but he loved her and he was hurting. If nothing else, he hurt _for_ his best friend. So he put on a brave face every day, and went home every night so utterly sad. He downed a few shots of whiskey that he swore he'd never drink, maybe cried a couple tears and then fell into a cold, dreamless sleep.

"I'm done fighting with you, Shawn." He said softly, shaking his head again. "Let me know if you find him. I… I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he turned and left the disaster area of an apartment, the door clicking softly behind him. Shawn sighed deeply and leaned back down, his fists on the tabletop. He groaned angrily and punched it a few times, surely bruising his fingers but totally not caring in the slightest. He rose and shook his hand out, turning to look at his board. He scanned it, trying to see anything he might have possibly missed. After a moment, he sat with a huff in his chair, rubbing his non-injured hand across his neck, attempting to work out the seemingly permanent kinks. Beth's funeral was in two days, and he was anything but ready. Brooke had been put into a medically induced coma two days earlier because of her brain injuries, so it was up to Shawn to arrange the service, which would take place in New York City. He, along with Gus and his dad, had a flight arranged for 10PM the next evening; another redeye that would put him in the city around 10AM. Beth will have a visitation in Santa Barbara tomorrow morning, and then her body will be flown to New York on Shawn's flight.

On top of everything, Shawn had to give a eulogy. He was most certainly _not_ looking forward to that. He was good with words, sure, but not when they were to be about his dead daughter. He sighed, again, and looked back over at the board. That's when he saw it. He saw things connecting and he suddenly realized where Howard Jacobs had to be. He worked it over and over in his head to be absolutely sure, and then he jumped up and grabbed his jacket from table. He got outside, straddled his bike and was about to drive off when he realized he should at least tell Gus, as he'd promised he would this past week. He dropped his feet to the ground on either side of the bike and pulled his phone from his pocket, tapping out a quick text to him. After shoving the device back into his jeans, he started his bike back up and peeled out of the parking lot, determination in his eyes and anger in his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N-Hey! :D So, new chapter. It's a little longer than the others. :D This particular chapter is the one that I had in my mind the ENTIRE TIME I was writing the whole fic. I was just ITCHING to get to this one. Let me know what you think, seriously. Please please pwetty pwease review :)  
>Also, please like my facebook page! :D<br>/laikynp  
>and follow me on Twitter! :D<br>/LaikynVictoria  
>And follow me on tumblr! :D<br>laikynvictoria  
>OR my writing-only tumblr:<br>communicatingtohearts  
><strong>_

_**Please and thanks. I love you forever! :D**_

* * *

><p>Chapter Six<p>

Gus had barely got back to his apartment before a text beeped through on his phone. He pulled his phone out as he plopped down on his sofa. He saw it was from Shawn and opened it curiously. When the message appeared on the screen, he had to read it once, twice, thrice, and so on, until it hit him.

_Found Jacobs. 4288 State st. On my way. _

Shawn was going after Jacobs, and this could only end badly. He ran back to his car, calling Juliet as he did.

"Gus, are you aware it's midnight?" She answered groggily.

"Shawn apparently found Jacobs, and he's on his way to him." Gus breathed out, slamming the door shut and starting the engine. "4288 state street."

He didn't wait for her to reply as he dropped his phone in the console between the two front seats and then peeled out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Juliet gaped at the phone in her hand for all of three seconds before jumping to action. She flew out of bed and began getting dressed, calling Lassiter as she did.<p>

"Shawn found him." She told him, pulling a hooded sweatshirt on over her head. "He found Jacobs. 4288 state street."

"He's not…"

"He is." Juliet confirmed solemnly.

She hung up the phone and stepped into her flats. She then stopped, looking down at her phone. Would it be a good idea to call Henry? After a few moments of mental deliberation, she decided it would probably be for the best to go ahead and tell him. He's been involved in these personal matters before, and had never been a hindrance, why would he know?

"Mr. Spencer, it's Juliet." She said when he answered, climbing into her car. "Shawn has found Howard Jacobs. He's.. He's going after him."

"Are you sure?" Henry asked gruffly, and Juliet replied in the affirmative. She gave him the address, and then dropped her phone in her lap, heading for State Street.

* * *

><p>Shawn pulled up to the small diner that sat nestled in between a dry cleaners and a pawnshop. <em>Annie's<em>, the sign read. He had noticed that in many of the photos they'd found of Jacobs, he was wearing an _Annie's_ t-shirt. After realizing this, he remembered a Marcus Murray, a semi-distant relative of Jacobs, from the files he'd read that the police deemed irrelevant. _Annie's_ had been Murray's restaurant, and while it had closed down three weeks ago, Murray still owned the building.

Which was the perfect hiding place for Jacobs.

Shawn inhaled deeply, checked to make sure the item he'd brought was still in his pocket, and he walked inside. The place was dark, as expected, so he held his phone up for light. He shined it around, making sure to see every inch of every wall before continuing to the next room. Before long, he'd cleared the entire place, and he was almost disheartened, thinking he was wrong, when he heard a slight shuffling… Under him? He looked around for a door or latch on the floor or something, when he found it: A door, in the far back of the back room. He hadn't spotted it before because he hadn't exactly been looking for a door. He went towards it slowly, exhaling before opening it slowly. He, of course, found stairs in front of him. He descended them quietly, careful not to make them creak. He was all the way at the bottom when he saw him. Howard Jacobs stood with his back to Shawn, messing around with stuff on a table on the other side of the concrete basement, or cellar, rather.

"Howard Jacobs." Shawn stated, raising the pistol he produced from his pocket. "Turn around, hands up."

The man noticeably sighed, his shoulders dropping.

"How'd you find me?" He asked, turning around with his hands placed on the back of his head. He strained in the dim light to see Shawn, and then recognition crossed his face. "You're that psychic. Brooke's ex."

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't shoot you dead right now." Shawn seethed through clenched teeth, his finger tensed over the trigger.

Jacobs merely smirked, shrugging. Shawn breathed deeply, staring the man straight in the eye, fighting every urge in his body to bend his finger.

"I came here with a purpose in mind." He said after a moment. "You can guess what that purpose is."

"Then do it."

"I'm not gonna lie." Shawn continued, ignoring him. "I've never killed a man before."

"You're scared."

"No. I'm not scared." Shawn shook his head. "I'm mad. I'm infuriated. You killed my daughter."

"And?"

Shawn felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. He reeled back slightly, but kept the gun trained on Jacobs. The way he'd just said that, as if it was nothing to him… Killing an innocent child.

"Shawn!"

The aforementioned didn't budge, not surprised they'd caught up to him that quickly.

"Shawn, don't do this." Juliet urged. He didn't have to turn around to see she had tears in her eyes.

"Shawn, we got him." Gus added. "We got him. You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do." He whispered, feeling his hand begin to quiver. "He… He deserves to die."

"Yes he does." Henry chimed in. "He deserves to rot, but not by your hand. Not by your hand."

"And why not?" He countered, sweat dripping off his forehead. "He killed my daughter! He… He killed my Bethy."

"You're not him, Spencer!" Lassiter exclaimed. "You're not killer. That's why."

Shawn shook his head, suddenly remembering a conversation he'd had with Beth two years ago…

_March 2010_

_"So, is chocolate/strawberry swirl still your favorite?" Shawn asked as he and Beth approached the ice cream stand._

_"Yup!" She exclaimed, nodding. She was holding Shawn's hand and bouncing on her heels, just as Shawn did when he was excited._

_"I'll have a strawberry/chocolate swirl in a cup, and a chocolate double scoop cone." Shawn told the vendor, handing him a twenty. Once they had their ice cream, they found a metal, shaded table and sat down._

_"Daddy?"_

_"Hm?" Shawn asked, concentrating on his ice cream._

_"What do you do?" He looked up at her,_

_"what do you mean?"_

_"What's your job?" She clarified. "Mommy is a teacher, my best friend's daddy is a fireman… What do you do?"_

_"I.. Work for the police." Shawn said slowly, not exactly wanting to tell his daughter he was psychic when he wasn't. "I help them solve crimes."_

_"So you're a policeman?" She asked._

_"No, but I'm a detective." He told her, taking a bite of his ice cream._

_"You're not a bad guy, right?" She continued. "You catch bad guys?"_

_"Yup." He nodded. "And I've caught a ton of 'em!"_

_"So you're a good guy?"_

_"Sure am." He grinned at seeing her smile._

_"Good." She beamed. "My daddy is a good guy."_

_Present_

"I'm a good guy." Shawn whispered, his hand shaking even worse, but still not moving. "She… She was happy… She was happy that I was a good guy."

The others could hear him mumbling, but couldn't quite make out what he was saying.

"I.. I'm not him." He spoke clearly now. "I am _not_ him. I'm not a killer."

With that, his arm dropped, and Lassiter advanced toward Jacobs, his own gun drawn.

"On the ground." He ordered. "On the ground!" Jacobs dropped to his knees, his hands staying behind his head. Shawn waited only long enough to make sure Jacobs was cuffed and held tightly by Lassiter before also dropping to his knees, shaking. Gus, Juliet and Henry all reached out for him, catching him before he hit too hard. He hunched over, sobs wracking his body. He finally, for the first time in ten days, succumbed to the pain and allowed himself to cry.

"She's gone." He made no attempt to wipe the tears from his eyes or the snot from his nose. "I feel like I barely even knew her… This isn't fair."

No one made an attempt to interject, or agree or disagree. They just let Shawn cry it out, merely holding him or laying a comforting hand across his shoulder.

"I almost…Killed him." He hiccupped. "I almost killed an unarmed man."

"Shhh." Henry rubbed his hand on his son's back like he did when he was young and scared of something.

"But I didn't." Shawn continued. "I didn't. I'm a _good_ guy." He sniffled, and then whispered,

"I'm a good guy."


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N- 'Ello there. New chapter :) I do hope you enjoy. Please review! :)**_

___**And please like my facebook page! :D  
>laikynp  
>and follow me on Twitter! :D<br>/LaikynVictoria  
>And follow me on tumblr! :D<br>laikynvictoria  
>OR my writing-only tumblr:<br>communicatingtohearts**_

_**P.S. I apologize for my British-sounding speech in this AN... I've been watching too much Sherlock. (Psh.. Who am I kidding, too much Sherlock?)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

Shawn milled about the small funeral home, nodding hellos to those who passed him. He'd only been there for about two hours, but he was ready to go home and just sleep. He sat with a huff in the wood chair next to the table in the kitchenette designated for the family of the deceased. This included Shawn, Henry, Gus, Juliet, Lassie and Karen. He looked around the empty room, knowing his friends were all in the main visiting area… Visiting. Which is what he should be doing, but just couldn't bring himself to do. His daughter was lying out there in a casket, on display, and he was supposed to just chat and visit with people? He had never understood how that made sense, and now it just made him sick. He leaned with his elbows on his knees, and put his face in his hands.

"Shawn?" He didn't look up as his father entered. "How are you doing?"

"Eh." Shawn stated, muffled.

He heard shuffling, and a chair scraping against linoleum, then his father sitting down.

"You should go out there, greet people." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Dad, I can't…" Shawn shook his head that was still resting in his hands.

"I said you should." Henry replied. "Not that you have to."

"I can't." Shawn repeated. He sighed and straightened up, looking at his dad. Henry saw the deep, dark circles under his son's bloodshot eyes. His own heart hurt for him.

"You're a stronger man than I am." He admitted softly.

Shawn looked at him questioningly.

"If that had been the man who killed my child," Henry shook his head, "I'd have killed him dead."

"I wanted to. So bad." Shawn replied. "But… I'd be no better a person than he is."

"You were right to stand down." Henry nodded. "You didn't need to throw your life away."

"I can't say I'd make the same decision if I were to see him again." Shawn sighed, stretching his limbs out.

"And I can't say I'd expect you to."

The conversation faded out, leaving them in silence. After five or so minutes, Shawn swallowed hard.

"Does it get better?"

"What?"

"This… This pain." Shawn explained. "I mean, you've seen people lose family. You've seen it. Does it get better?"

Henry looked at his broken son, and nearly broke himself.

"I don't have an answer for that, Shawn." He said softly. "I honestly don't know. I've seen men bounce back and carry on, but… "

"But?"

"But I've also seen men lose themselves, usually in the bottom of a bottle." He continued. "And I don't want that to happen to you, Shawn. We're all here, you know."

"I know." Shawn nodded. "I know you are."

* * *

><p>Shawn, Gus and Henry stepped off the plane and made their way down the long hallway to the gate into the airport. They stepped out and greeted the funeral director, who would transport Beth's body to the funeral home there in New York City.<p>

"Mr. Spencer, I'd like to express my deepest condolences." He shook his hand, giving a courteous nod. "Your daughter will be transported via hearse to the funeral home in Manhattan."

Shawn merely nodded in understanding and then was led away by his father and Gus. They made it to baggage, then outside and they were standing on the sidewalk when he saw them.

Jules and Lassiter had pulled up in a rental car, and were getting out to help with the bags.

"Jules, Lassie." Shawn looked at them, confused. "What are you all doing here? You said you couldn't get off work."

"Well, I just… Left." Juliet shrugged. "Figured I'd deal with it when I got back."

"I am very persuasive." Lassiter told them. "Although, I'm pretty sure Chief wanted to come. She just couldn't leave."

"Lassie, I can't… I can't believe _you're_ here…" Shawn admitted, waving his hand at the man. "I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you, Spencer." Lassiter said softly, grabbing a suitcase and putting it in the trunk of the car. "You need your… Friends to be here for you. So I'm here."

Lassiter will never know it, but his words hit Shawn hard. He had never said or done anything as nice or compassionate as he just did.

"Thanks, Lassie." He whispered. He shook his head and climbed into the back seat of the car with Gus and Jules, and leaned his head against the window. Before long, he was drifting off.

* * *

><p>"<em>Daddy." Shawn looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Daddy!" The voice was crying now. He looked around frantically, running around the dark room. He had to find her… Had to find her… <em>

_ "Daddy! Where are you!" He broke out into a sweat, feeling his breath quicken. Where was she? _

_ "I'm coming, Baby." He rasped. "I'm gonna help you, I promise."_

_ "Daddy! Why aren't you helping me?" Bethy's voice rang out in his mind, echoing into every crevice. "Daddy!"_

_ "I'm sorry!" Shawn cried, dropping to his knees. "I'm so sorry!" _

"Shawn! Shawn, wake up!" Shawn bolted up, sweat pouring down his face. He looked over and saw Gus standing over him, concerned.

"Shawn, are you alright?" He asked, helping in to stand up.

"Yeah.. No, I was just.. I had a nightmare." Shawn mumbled, peeling the sheets from his legs. "Did I wake you up?"

"You were… You were crying." Gus said softly. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Shawn shook his head and looked at the clock on his nightstand. Seeing that it was only 45 minutes before he was to get up anyway, he proceeded to go toward the bathroom to shower. After he was finished, he went ahead and donned his black slacks, white dress and suit jacket. He stood in front of the mirror, tying his tie around his neck. He didn't realize he was crying until he couldn't see himself in the reflection anymore. He dropped his hands to his side, going limp. He turned and leaned against the mirror, sliding to the floor against it. Gus was in the shower, so he had at least a few minutes alone. Today was the actual funeral service, and he wasn't exactly prepared for it.

"I'm sorry, Bethy." He whispered. "I'm so sorry I let this happen."

By the time they made it to the funeral home, Shawn was at least somewhat composed, however reserved and quiet. Juliet gripped his hand tightly as they entered the building.

"Do you want to go in and see her before it starts?" She asked him, and he nodded. They walked to the entrance of the chapel, and Jules was about to walk away when Shawn stopped her.

"Can you come with me?" He asked her, staring at the casket on the opposite end of the room.

"Of course, Shawn." She nodded, gripping his hand again, giving it a squeeze.

The walked through the door and approached the casket slowly.

"She's so beautiful." Juliet whispered, shaking her head.

"She is." Shawn replied. "You know, she had an eidetic memory."

"Just like her daddy." She grinned. Shawn had told Juliet the month before that he wasn't really a psychic, and explained to her how he did what he did.

"She was almost as hyper-observant as me, _without_ a drill sergeant father." He chuckled. "She was so smart, too. She skipped two grades, and was in middle school by the time she was eight."

"Wow…"

Shawn was startled when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Who in the world would be texting him now? He pulled it out and was surprised to see 'Chief Vick' illuminate his screen. He opened and read the message, now just completely dumbfounded.

_I know you're busy, but I figured I'd let you know. Howard Jacobs was killed in his cell this morning. _


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N-Hey there! New chapter! I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review. Please?**_

_**Also, please like my facebook page! :D  
>laikynp  
>and follow me on Twitter! :D<br>/LaikynVictoria  
>And follow me on tumblr! :D<br>laikynvictoria  
>OR my writing-only tumblr:<br>communicatingtohearts**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

"Shawn, what is it?" He must have reacted noticeably, as Juliet was now gripping both his arms and trying to get him to look her in the eyes. "Shawn, are you alright?"

"Jacobs is dead." He said. "The Chief just texted me. She said Jacobs was killed in his cell this morning."

"Are you serious?"

Shawn just handed her the phone to see for herself, and made his way out of the chapel, cupping his hand across his mouth.

"Shawn, are you okay?" Henry approached him, worried. "What's wrong?"

He told him, along with Gus and Lassie who had appeared, what he'd told Jules.

"I'm not surprised." Lassiter shook his head. "Child killers do _not_ last long in prison."

"I just… I just can't believe it." Shawn stated. "I.. Is it… Is it wrong to feel happy?"

"No, no it's not." Henry assured him. "Don't let yourself feel bad over that. He did an awful thing, and he deserved it."

"Yeah…" Shawn nodded. "You're right."

The service started twenty minutes later, the officiator saying a prayer to kick things off. Before he knew it, Shawn was being announced. He inhaled deeply before rising and making his way to the podium.

"I tried to write things down." He started, clearing his throat. "But I just couldn't… I couldn't think of anything." He had no tears, now. He just looked contemplative.

"I didn't see Bethany as much as I wanted to. Her mother won custody when we split up." He continued after a moment. "I saw her every year, on her birthday though. She was so compassionate, and smart. She was so wise for her age.  
>"Her life was short, but she accomplished so much for how little she did have with us. She's my little girl, and she'll <em>always<em> be my Bethy." Shawn cleared his throat again, looking down at his hands. "Nothing is going to stop that. Not even death."

He merely nodded and stepped away, sitting back down. He looked up, surprised, to see Gus walking to wear he'd just stood.

"Hello. I'm Burton Guster." He greeted. "I was Bethany's godfather, and I have a passage that I found really fitting that I'd like to share." He took a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and smoothed it on the podium.  
>"I bet she can hear you, I'll bet she watches you all the time. Some people just aren't meant to be in our lives forever. Some are just passing through. Some get it all done faster than the rest of us. They don't need to stick around for a hundred years to get it all right, because they get everything done quickly.<br>"It's like some people just come through our lives to bring us something, a gift, a lesson we need to learn, and that's why they're here. She taught you something, I'll bet… About love, and giving, and caring so much about someone…that was her gift to you. She taught you all that, and then she left.  
>"Maybe she just didn't need to stay longer than that. She gave you the gift, and then she was free to move on. She taught you to love unconditionally, and you'll <em>always<em> have that gift."

Shawn had fresh tears welling in his eyes, now, as he stood and embraced his best friend.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Of course." Gus whispered back, grinning sadly. "She was my goddaughter, after all."

_Three Days Later_

"What are you doing here?" Lassiter blocked the way to autopsy, his arms folded. He didn't want to seem harsh, but autopsy was the _last_ place Spencer needed to be.

"Y'know, just… Visiting Woody." Shawn shrugged, and Lassie eyed him.

"Woody's on lunch." He replied. "You know that."

"Okay, look… Just…" Shawn shook his head. "I just need in there, Lassie."

"Why?"

"I need to make sure he's dead, okay?" Shawn burst out, raising his hands in emphasis.

"Spencer…"

"Look, I know it's stupid. I know it's irrational. I just…" He sighed. "I need this, Carlton. I need… Closure."

Maybe it was the urgency in his eyes, or the fact that he used his first name. Either way, Lassiter stepped aside, allowing Shawn access to the room that held Jacobs' body.

"You have one minute." He said softly, and Shawn nodded in appreciation. He walked in, and found that Jacobs was on the table, obviously prepped for his autopsy. Shawn slowly approached it and stared down at the man's body. This man killed his daughter, and deserved to rot in hell for the crimes he committed. Shawn had no doubt he was. If there were any loving God at all, He would make sure this man made it nowhere near heaven.

"Spencer." Lassiter entered behind him. "You should leave now."

"Yeah…" Shawn whispered with a nod.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He said, again. "I.. I actually think I am."

* * *

><p>"Here's all the pictures I have of her." Shawn said, setting a box down on his father's coffee table. "It's not much…"<p>

"Shawn, you don't have to do this." Henry told him.

"I want to." Shawn replied. "It helps me. To talk about her."

Henry sighed and opened the lid of the box, retrieving a photo album entitled, "Baby's First Year".

"She was 6 pounds even." Shawn stated, sitting down next to his dad. "Most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

"She was a beaut." Henry nodded in agreement. "Was she too difficult?"

"Well, she had colic." Shawn said pointedly with a grin. "That's why I generally got no sleep for the rest of 2003, and the better half of 2004."

They continued looking through the pictures, Shawn sharing stories as they went. He told him how when she was four, she decided to give herself a haircut, which explains the chili-bowl haircut she has in most of the pictures from late 2007. How she dropped an entire ice cream cone on his head while he had her on his shoulders at a fair in central park. (Gus had snapped a picture before he had a chance to clean himself off.) How she skipped first grade, then second grade soon after.

"She was an amazing kid." Shawn said, leaning back, into the couch. "They say that no one is perfect, but 'they' just never met Bethy."

Henry was about to reply, but was cut off by Shawn's phone ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and pressed the 'accept' button on the screen.

"Hey Jules." He answered. "What's up?"

"Shawn," she replied, something obviously going on. "Brooke Tessing was found dead in her hospital room this morning. The doctors think it was suicide."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N-**_

_**Hello. I would have hoped for some more reviews, but I suppose I'll take what I can get. This IS the last chapter, but do not fret, there will be a sequel! I promise!  
>Please please please review! :D<br>**_

_**Also, please like my facebook page! :D  
>laikynp  
>and follow me on Twitter! :D<br>/LaikynVictoria  
>And follow me on tumblr! :D<br>laikynvictoria  
>OR my writing-only tumblr:<br>communicatingtohearts**_

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine<p>

"I'm sorry this has happened, Mr. Spencer." Chief said softly, standing next to Shawn in the hospital room turned crime scene. He merely shook his head, waving off her apology.

"I should have seen this coming." He replied. "Can't say I'm surprised. Brooke has always been a bit unstable."

"Well, in any case, I'm sorry for your loss." She nodded, and walked toward the crime scene techs across the room.

_'It's not exactly a loss.'_ Shawn thought to himself with a scoff. His eyes scanned the room, looking for any hidden clues that would only be visible to him. That's when he spotted it. A sliver of paper barely poking out from under the mattress. He looked around before reaching over and picking it up.

_You didn't look hard enough. –T.G._

Shawn stared at it, his mind racing over everything that had happened the past couple weeks. It landed on a case file about Jacobs. It was a picture of him with another guy, whose _Annie's _nametag read 'Thomas G'. It then landed on his confrontation with Jacobs. He'd been messing with something on the table, and he strained to remember what he knew his mind had seen. Then he remembered. He had been holding a phone, and on the screen of said phone, was a typed out text message.

_Finish the job. He found me._

"Oh my God…" Shawn breathed. He shook his head, stuffed the paper in his pocket, and left the room.

"Shawn, I get to your apartment, and it's still wrecked, and I come here, after I spent two hundred dollars having it cleaned, to find it a wreck!" Gus stalked angrily into the Psych office, having seen the disarray through the window. "You're acting like you did before we got Jacobs."

"He had a partner." Gus barely heard him over the bustling of papers as he went from marker board, to desk, to desk, to food, to marker board.

"What?"  
>Shawn turned around, his hair disheveled, his white t-shirt and jeans both wrinkled beyond belief and he was sporting thick stubble on his chin and upper lip.<p>

"He had a partner." He repeated. He then explained everything he'd figured out. "And I gotta find him."

"What!" Gus exclaimed. "Shawn, take a break. Give it to the police and _settle down_. This is not healthy!"

"Nope." Shawn shrugged, sarcasm in his voice. "And I don't care." No sarcasm there.

"Shawn, I am not standing back on this one." Gus stated firmly. "Stop."

"Either you help me, or I do this on my own." Shawn shook his head and turned back to the marker board, causing Gus to suddenly feel déjà vu. Hadn't they just had this conversation a week earlier?

"Shawn, please." Gus said softly. "Please, stop denying yourself the right to let this go."

"My daughter's killer could still be out there." Shawn said in an even tone. "Need I remind you what I'm _not_ going to do until he's dead?"

"Stop." Gus mumbled with a nod. "Yeah, right, well, when you decide to get off this… This… Psychotic notion that everything will be alright and happy when he's dead, let me know." He regretted the words the moment he said them, but there was no taking them back. Shawn's hand that was writing on the board slacked, and his shoulders slumped, but only for a moment. He cleared his throat, started writing again, and didn't even turn his head as he said,

"Get out."

Gus fought the urge to argue that it was _his_ office as well, but knowing he was already on thin ice, he turned around and left.

Once he knew he was gone, Shawn allowed his hand to start shaking as it almost did at Gus' statement. To be honest, he was right. Things would not magically get 'all better' once this whole thing was _finally _finished and put to bed, but he could pretend, at least for a little while, they would.

So he forced back the tears that threatened to fall, and continued working, doing the same things he had been doing for Jacobs two weeks prior, except for this Thomas G. fellow, whom he knew virtually nothing about.

* * *

><p>It was six days later that Gus entered the SBPD, confident that what he was doing was right. Shawn had went home that day from the Psych office, and had since been a recluse, spending nearly all of his time on finding Thomas G. No one except Gus knew why he had suddenly holed up, not even Juliet or his father. After the sixth morning had passed that Shawn had not shown up at the Psych office, Gus knew something had to be done. Why he thought taking it to Jules and Lassiter was a good idea, he wasn't sure, but it was the best he could think of.<p>

"Guster." Lassiter's face screwed in confusion. "What are you doing here?" He looked over Gus' shoulders. "Where's Spencer?"

"That's what I came about." He stated solemnly. He motioned Jules over, and then explained everything Shawn had told him. They listened earnestly, nodding their heads and murmuring. By the time he finished, they were dumbfounded –and then not so dumbfounded that Shawn would do this.

"Lassiter, start finding everything you can on a Thomas G." Jules ordered, surprising Lassie. "We're gonna go get Shawn."

Shawn sat staring at the board in his dining area, in the same manner he had been nearly three weeks ago, now. He wasn't sure when the last time he showered was, and his last real meal had been three or four days ago, having since then nibbled on crackers and downed energy drinks and coffee. His apartment was even worse than it had been before, mostly because Thomas G. was proving to be a _lot_ harder to find than Jacobs had been. Mr. G apparently wasn't an official employee of _Annie's_ and was merely helped out, so all he had to go on was Thomas G.

He was reading over a court document from a civil suit that Jacobs had been a part of. It had been filed against _Annie's_; a customer had claimed that they got sick from a burger they'd eaten there, and Jacobs had prepared it. The court document had a list of everyone that was working there at the time… Including non-paid workers.

"Thomas Garrison." Shawn mumbled, standing up, staring at the name on the paper in front of him. "His name is Thomas Garrison."

Then it hit him; a memory from a long time ago...

_February 2003_

_Shawn was lounging on the sofa in his and his girlfriend's apartment, mindlessly watching TV. His very-pregnant girlfriend, Brooke passed him on the way to the kitchen, shooting him a wink. He grinned, and turned back to the TV. The silence in the apartment was then interrupted by a knock on the door._

_ "I got it, Shawny!" Brooke called to him from the kitchen. She emerged a moment later and opened the door._

_ "Tommy, hi!" She greeted him with a hug. "Shawn, this is my brother-in-law Tommy."_

_ "Hi." Shawn nodded at him, having stood by now and was approaching the two. He stuck his hand out, and Tommy shook it. "Nice to meet you."_

_ "He came by to drop off some old baby clothes of my niece's." Brooke explained._

_ "You don't have a niece, though." Shawn stated, confused. _

_ "Exactly." Brooke laughed. "She was sure she was going to have a girl, so when she had a boy, she had a ton of clothes to get rid of."_

_ "Oh, well that's awesome." Shawn grinned, looking at the dresses, and onesies and jumpers as Tommy laid them out on the ottoman. "They're adorable."_

_ Tommy said his goodbyes, saying he had to go pick up his son. Once he was gone, Brooke turned to Shawn._

_ "My sister was really devastated." She told him. "After she had my nephew, she found out she wouldn't be able to have any more kids. She really wanted to have a girl."_

_ "I suppose it doesn't help that her sister is having one." Shawn commented regretfully. "That's too bad."_

_ "Yeah." Brooke nodded. "But Tommy and his step-brother, Howie have really been helping her through it. I've never met Howie, but from what I can tell, he's really been a support for them."_

_ "Well that's good." Shawn nodded, uncomfortable talking about such serious matters. "So, are we going to go with the seafoam green, or pastel pink?"_

* * *

><p>"I <em>met<em> him?" Shawn was mentally kicking himself as fumbled around his table, trying to find his phone. He found it, and opened the web browser. He searched for 'Thomas Garrison', finding only one in Santa Barbara. To be sure it was him, he dialed the number that was there, and cleared his throat.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this a Mister Thomas Garrison?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I am with the Santa Barbara Regional Survey Committee. I just have a few questions. First, is your step brother a Mister Howard Jacobs?"

"He was. Now leave me alone."

_ Click_

Shawn grinned, pocketed his phone, and raced for the door.

_'I found him.'_ He thought to himself triumphantly. _'I found him.'_


End file.
